Clean Energy In Oregon Worth $5.4 Billion?

According to the Oregon non-profit Renewable Northwest Project, the state will see capital investment in solar, wind, and geothermal projects reach the $5.4 billion mark before the end of the year.

Wind energy in particular has been a boom to Oregon, especially in Sherman Country, where projects have brought $2 billion to the region – $1 billion from Iberdrola Renewables investment alone – and a reported $17 million in property taxes. Solar has been beneficial as well: the town of Hillsboro, Oregon already hosts one of the nation’s largest solar manufacturing plants, and another is on the way.

image via Wikipedia

A representative from Columbia Gorge Community College at a press conference held by the non-profit organization stated that renewable energy projects have been responsible for construction jobs in rural areas of the state that have been hit particularly hard with timber industries losses.

Aaron Colter is a freelance writer and marketing consultant in Portland, Oregon. A graduate of Purdue University, he has worked for the NCAA, Dark Horse Comics, Willamette Week, AOL, The Huffington Post, Top Shelf Productions, DigitalTrends, theMIX agency, SuicideGirls, EarthTechling, d'Errico Studios and others. He is also the co-founder of BananaStandMedia.com, a free record label, recording studio, and distribution service for independent musicians.

2 Comments

Barry

Just reloacted to oregon from Chicago, Illinois, seeking position in the Energy Sector. Licensed Architect in Illinois and Wisconsin. Oregon License applied for. nEnergy Broker since 1997 in the deregulated states.nBarry NewDelmannbarry@purenrgteam.com

Anngrifalconi22

It ought to be clear by now that NUCLEAR u00a0POWERED u00a0PLANTS u00a0are and will be a u00a0long-term threat to all future populations.Instead of being reccommended as “improved” u00a0or u00a0a “clean form of energy” –it should instead be u00a0declared:nA PERMANENT THREAT TO ALL LIFE AND OUR RIGHTS TO CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR, & TO THE EARTH ITSELF!u00a0One u00a0indestructable “by-product” of nuclear plants- (even more dangerous than uraniun):TRITIUM- has been reported as u00a0leaking from many of these u00a040 to 50 year old concrete plants (from New England to Oregon) into u00a0regional water tables u00a0throughout u00a0the US. And u00a0there’s more:Even the water used to “cool” the plant’s daily working are poured directly into local waterways ( dead or “weird” tumored fish, the result!)Yet new nuclear plants areu00a0still being pushed into our states! SHAME!u00a0AND WHAT LOBBY HAS BEEN DOING THE PUSHING?An unhealthy consortium off oilmen &u00a0profiteers usingu00a0Canada,u00a0the source of much of the uranium & “tar & oil sands”u00a0which often lay together in the dark heart of earth’s begingsNOW? They now propose tou00a0send those same “oil sands” u00a0to profitable southern US ports– thru the infamous enormous u00a0pipepine of that same dangerousu00a0sludge–Yet thatu00a0intention:of blasting south, right thru all of the central U.S. states– just “happens” tou00a0go u00a0right over the biggest source of water:u00a0the major watertables ofu00a0most of the United States? To do this, without regard to the consequences of all living beings is u00a0both frightening and u00a0a warning to the future!u00a0THESE u00a0EXPLOITERS HAVE GONE TOO FAR: u00a0ALL THE WAY TO THE u00a0REMOTE CANADIAN WASTELANDS-which in their very awesome and frighteningly barren u00a0and lifeless appearance should have been a warning to all others!u00a0(Even Indian legend supports this, seeing the orange dying trees– the u00a0red and blackened earth– the lifeless wilderness+:”LEAVE THESE POLUTANTS IN THE GROUND! AND FAR FROM u00a0ALL LIVING BEINGS THREATENED BY THIS STAIN!”nn+”I u00a0actually have a picture of that barren evil place– will u00a0look for it and post it next time”nnu00a0greyfalcon